Missing

This is the telegram that was sent when my Uncle Alf was shot down in a bombing rain over Germany.

I've mentioned Alf before.

My Uncle Neill has been researching Alf's war record and has very kindly passed everything onto me. There is a lot so it'll take me a while to get to it all.

This is a description of what happened, by Flight Lieutenant T.S. Kilpatrick, March 1945.

Flight Sergeant Alf Green, Navigator, Halifax Bomber

Thanks to our experienced Navigator, Alf Green, our timing was perfect ands we approached the target at the prescribed time and height of 20,000 fet.

Henry Sheridan was lying prone in the nose close to Alf who was still involved in plotting our course whilst Jimmy Ward, who had nothing to do at this time, was on my right as we came up to the target.

There was some flak around, some of it very close but, we ignored this as Henry took over control. "Right Skipper, steady, right, steady CHRIST!!' Realising there was something wrong I called over the intercom., 'What's wrong Henry?". "Oh nothing much Skipper, except there is a nine inch hole in front of my nose, you know where the perspex used to be ! I'm alright tho' so carry on, Left, left, steady, Bombs gone!"

We had to carry on straight and level for a while and had been hit several times and both starboard engines had to be feathered after Paddy reported a loss of oil pressure in both. It was too late however and we were in trouble.

The following conversation could have been quite amusing had it not been so serious. Jimmy who was watching what was happening to the starboard wing said "The wing is on fire." I asked if it was spreading and Jimmy replied "Yes, it looks pretty bad Skipper. You know where our starboard wing used to be, well Skipper, I can now see the fields of Germany through it!!"

I had to make a decision and as we had no hope of recovering this I said to the crew "Right chaps, I doubt if there is any future in hanging on here so, get out as quickly as you can".


And quickly they did , except for the Navigator (Alf). I knew nothing of this until Henry came on the intercom, "Alf is just not moving". I asked Henry to explain and he said, "He's just sitting in the hatch staring at nothing". I then called Alf but Henry replied. "He's just not responding Skip, what shall I do?".
"Drop him out Henry" I replied. "But what if he doesn't open his chute?" "That's his problem Henry, we can't leave him to fry or splash. Drop him now". Henry did so and then followed him with Jimmy close behind.

I was left with PAddy, both of us struggling to keep the aircraft level until Paddy handed my my parachute and then he too jumped. Throttling back on the two port engines I stood up quickly and moved down to the hatch. I was suddenly enveloped in shrouds of parachute silk as I had inadvertently pulled the rip cord. What a stupid thing to do I thought as I gathered up the shrouds and dropped through the hatch. I was a lovely clear afternoon and the silence as I floated down on my very first parachute jump was tranquilising. I then heard the horrifying sound of an aircraft engine approaching my back. I was terrified and had never felt fear as I did then but, swinging my body round I was delighted to see the little blue Spitfire with its glorious RAF roundels. I gave the pilot a heart wave as I touched down in the back garden of a terraced house, to be seized by two men of the local police who handed me over to the Military. I was taken to the Mulheim airfield at Essen where I was happy to meet Jimmy, Henry, Paddy and Ken.

Of Alf and Jack Frost there was no news, Jack Frost who was on his first operation with us, would never come back and we never knew what had happened to him except that he was killed.

Alf Green came home before any of us. His mother, in one of her letters to my wife, told how "he landed Rather Heavily and hurt his back, face and nose and was put into hospital by the Germans and then repatriated.

Alf was 18 years old....